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Uncoupled is a new 8-part comedy/drama on Netflix centred around real estate agent Michael (Neil Patrick Harris, who’s due to appear in the 2023 Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Special).
He has it all – a great place to live, and his ideal partner in Colin (Tuc Watkins), with whom he’s been together for 17 years, yet still not married, until… Colin’s 50th comes around and Michael has a big party planned, yet this is spoiled by the birthday boy announcing he wants to split up, and still needs time to figure things out after nearly two decades together.
To Michael, being 50 is a major deal, even though Mr Harris is 50 next year, himself. I turned 50 this year. I’d love to know how to lose weight and get those abs of his. That said, after he throws up in a toilet at one point, Stanley quips, “So, that’s your secret(!)”
Meanwhile, another friend, Billy, tells him how it’s great to be gay and single in New York, since all the younger lads like older guys. However, he’s reminded by Stanley, “That’s because you’re on TV. Every shallow twink in the city wants to be with someone on TV(!)”
Additionally, and as one of the main cast, Marcia Gay Harden plays Claire Lewis, “collector extraordinaire”, who’s divorced after 28 years, and moans that her daughter has declared herself as non-binary. I’m guessing that’s been added as a satirical swipe at modern life because we’re told there’s actually now 58 different recognised genders, in how one can identify themselves.
Either way, Claire needs to sell her place, and if he and business partner (and lonely singleton in need of a good coupling) Suzanne (Tisha Campbell) can pull it off, they’ll make a fortune.
So far, I’m six (out of 8) episodes into this, and it’s ‘Rich People’s Problems’, basically. They go for couples therapy, and even though they’ve split, they plan to attend a bris together.
No-one he knows really cares about the problems he has with this, but I’ve found it very witty so far, such as when Michael feels he needs to get back on the market again and declares, “I need to get off my ass and into someone else’s.”
Has Colin moved on? Will he and Michael get back together after 8 episodes? Isn’t Colin just a name for someone born decades ago who used to work as the caretaker for Tony Hart? And is “scooping my bagel” a euphemism?
Some, all or none of these questions will be answered as the series goes on.
Oh, I do like that at one point when he’s alone, Michael even puts on Netflix, only to be reminded that they both have separate accounts registered on the TV, which irritates him.
UPDATE: I’ve now seen the final two episodes, and this really grew on me the more it went on. Plus, and especially since it gave us some cliffhangers later on, I can’t wait for a second season!
Thanks to our friends at Netflix for the screener prior to release.
Uncoupled! is not available to pre-order on Blu-ray or DVD, but is on Netflix from Friday July 29th.
Detailed specs:
Cert: 
Running time: 25-30 minutes per episode (8 episodes)
Release date: July 29th 2022
Studio: Netflix
Format: 2.00:1
Director: Andrew Fleming
Producers: Michael Amodio, Stephen Joel Brown, Ryan McCormick
Creators: Darren Star, Jeffrey Richman
Music: Gabriel Mann
Cast:
Michael: Neil Patrick Harris
Suzanne: Tisha Campbell
Claire: Marcia Gay Harden
Colin: Tuc Watkins
Tyler Hawkins: Nic Rouleau
Jack: Andre de Shields
Diane: Cynthia Darlow
Driver: John Fico
Sam: Andy Kelso
Woman: Christina Gordon
Host: Jonah Platt
Freddy: Jay Santiago
Talia: Monica Tulia Ramirez
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.